Altiplano

Venta y Media

Spring Capture and Water Storage Tanks

Background

Venta y Media is a small, rural Altiplano town situated in a tight valley. The ridge to the west separates Venta y Media from Bolivia's largest mine, Huayani. During the height of the mine's zinc and silver production, Huayani provided jobs for many residents. Now, however, Huayani is more an environmental hazard than a community asset.

Problem

Huayani's massive tailings piles contain heavy metals that are dissolved by rain and un-diverted surface water. This acid drainage flow has stained Rio Marchacamarca's rocks rust colored and has killed all aquatic life. The downstream communities, which once benefitted from the mine, now receive only contaminated water and negative, undocumented health effects.

Acid Mine Drainage contaminating nearby streams Fortunately, Venta y Media is not directly downstream. It is in the adjacent watershed, buffered from the mine by the western ridge. Therefore, Venta y Media's aquifers are pristine, and four artesian springs trickle drinkable water to the surface.

However, these springs are not exploited for the benefit of Venta y Media and the surrounding communities. Not far below Venta y Media, the clean water flows into the contaminated Rio Marchacamarca and all potential benefit is lost.

Solution

Fifteen years ago, Huayani commissioned the Swedish Geological Service to prepare an environmental impact assessment. The study documented that Venta y Media's artesian springs had high discharges of 5 liters per minute. As a result, the study emphasized that the springs must be exploited to reduce the consumption and use of contaminated water by many downstream communities. The springs, however, have remained undeveloped.

Typical water storage tank TERRA will collaborate with the community of Venta y Media to build four raised 2500 gallon storage tanks. The raised tanks are necessary to circumvent the need for pumps to divert the water over undulating topography. TERRA will also work with the nearby communities in the design and financing of distribution systems. Each participating community will form a water cooperative to guide management and maintenance. Furthermore, each community will contribute a portion of the cost commensurate to their available community resources. TERRA will oversee the project for four years in order to ensure proper inter-community cooperation.

Benefits

This project has three wide-reaching benefits:

  1. It will provide year round reliable drinking water to several communities, improving the quality of water consumption and decreasing the community's risk to droughts.
  2. The constant high flow rates enable use of the water for irrigation, decreasing a community's agricultural susceptibility to droughts.
  3. The project will improve community organization and inter-community collaboration;both have proven to increase the longevity of the project and to stimulate unaided, future community projects.
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Project Brief
Title:
Venta y Media: Spring Capture and Water Storage Tanks
Status:
Not Funded
Location:
Community of Venta y Media, Provincio Poopo, Oruro, Bolivia
Participants:
TERRA - Resource Development International, the Municipality of Poopo, and Sub-Municipality of Venta y Media
Cost:
$20,000 USD